This "Dictator" isn't the great one, but he has deep respect for the inspirational role models who've come before, as his film's dedication makes clear: "In loving memory of Kim Jong Il," a dear leader who died as he lived -- in three-inch heels.

There’s a flight taking off for New Zealand, and if you’ve never been there, I suggest you take this chance to hop aboard. It’s a flight of fancy about an 11-year-old Maori boy named “Boy”---the most devout Michael Jackson fan of ’em all.

Americans currently divided over the (dubious) theory and (problematic) practice of "Stand your ground" in Florida should sympathize with a painfully similar concept---and rallying cry---in the West Bank, and elsewhere. Be it Trayvon vs. Zimmerman or Palestinian villagers vs. Israeli settlers, the question is always the same: Who's standing whose ground against whom?

Take a cue from your tulips and get into Netherlands mode for the "Distinctively Dutch" component of this year's Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, starting tonight with a beautiful 60-minute documentary "Girl With Black Balloons."

This isn't just the best foreign film I've seen this year, it's the best film, period -- a cutting-edge visual and emotional powerhouse. Its central figure is Dominik, a spoiled-brat high school senior whose permissive father and mother (a government minister and famous costume designer) are too busy with their careers to notice his "issues" -- including the gay inclinations that lead to his outing and humiliation on the Internet. In loco parentis, Dominik seeks love/support online in The Suicide Room. Read more... about Carnegie Mellon Filmfest: Enter `The Suicide Room' at your own risk